Tokyo 2025: Miltos Tentoglou’s battle in the long jump final

The archetypal Greek medal successful Tokyo came connected Monday noon, with the awesome Emmanouil Karalis taking 2nd spot successful the rod vault final.

Now, his adjacent person “Manolo,” Miltos Tentoglou, throws himself into the conflict of his ain final, where—despite the aggravated contention and the problems helium is facing—he wants to support his World Champion title and triumph a 2nd consecutive golden medal successful the lawsuit (the erstwhile 1 came 2 years agone successful Budapest).

The jock coached by George Pomaski wants to “seal” the contention from his precise archetypal attempts. He is competing archetypal and, conscionable similar successful the qualifiers, helium wants to nonstop an aboriginal connection of dominance to his rivals portion besides protecting his limb (he has discomfort successful his ankle). If helium manages to triumph gold, it volition beryllium his 12th medal successful a large championship, achieving thing unique: having astatine slightest 2 golden medals successful each large way and tract tournament.

It’s not the archetypal clip Tentoglou enters a last carrying an injury. In 2021, successful Toruń, helium managed to triumph with conscionable 1 jump, contempt a superior genu problem. His mentality allows him to flooded difficulties and present erstwhile it matters most. That’s what helium did successful the qualifiers, and that’s what helium wants to bash successful the final.

Miltos presently holds 11 golden medals successful elder competitions since 2018, and 12 successful total, since successful 2022 helium finished 2nd astatine the World Championships successful Eugene.

The Greek champion has the world-leading show this twelvemonth (from the European Team Championships successful Madrid) with 8.46 m. In the qualifiers, however, the champion people was achieved by Jamaica’s Tajay Gayle (third successful the erstwhile World Championships) with 8.28 m (season champion 8.34 m). Italy’s Mattia Furlani has jumped 8.37 m this twelvemonth and looks acceptable to combat for his archetypal World medal, portion Switzerland’s Simon Ehammer has an 8.34 m jump—though connected an elevated runway.

Notably absent from the last is Wayne Pinnock, runner-up successful the erstwhile World Championships, who did not question to Tokyo.